From Simple to Beautiful

Do you ever consider the beauty within the mundane things of life, Dear Readers?

Look within the perimeters of nature. Simple beauty is ever present.

One might not surmise that little kitchen gadgets offer beauty in simplicity, too. But, they do!

Tucked inside a kitchen pantry are tools that can transform a ho-hum dessert into a charmingly presented product.

For instance, take a peek at the bottom of a drinking glass. It’s quite fundamental. It’s hard. It’s flat. It appropriately serves its role in drinking-glass-form-and-function etiquette.

Think Outside the Box

However, with a little bit of outside-the-box thinking—especially if the glass bottom has a beautiful sunburst design formed within its glassy depths–added dimension and gorgeous appeal are at one’s fingertips as the glass imprints that design into cookie dough.

The same is true with the simple monotony of a slotted spoon’s metal cutout diagram or the conventional geometric design of a baker’s cooling rack. They are rudimentary instruments that call the kitchen home yet become artistic tools when given a chance.

Just think, your hands and these uncomplicated instruments open the pathway for creative self expression when beginning with a ball of shortbread cookie dough rolled inside the palm of the hand.

Give it a try! Take your favorite cookie dough recipe from which a ball of dough can be formed inside the hand. The density of thumbprint cookie dough works well for this.

Now wait…refrain from making a fingerprint and filling it with jam before baking.

It’s the ready-set-go time to use your gentle baker’s touch and some newly discovered cookie-top design equipment such as what I’ve mentioned above.

Tradition is Always in Style

Of course, a traditional table fork has always been in style to fashion the cross-hatch design of a homemade peanut butter cookie.

Strips of paper cut about one-half to one inch wide, when laid in a criss-cross pattern on top of a cake or cheesecake create the foundation for a unique decorative design. Sift powdered sugar or cocoa over the surface. Gently remove the strips of paper. Voila! Created scenic charm at your disposal!

Take a gander at plastic quilting stencils the next time you visit your favorite quilt shop. They offer unlimited decorative design possibilities in the art of food embellishment. Miss NiNi knows. I use them!

Above all, Dear Readers, have fun on a kitchen treasure hunt as you search for objects d’art that can transform desserts from the mundane to the beautiful.

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About Miss NiNi

The Miss NiNi legend has grown over the years to include customers from coast-to-coast, and a number of Grand Champion Awards in the baking competitions at the Iowa State Fair, the largest food competition of its kind in the United States. With just one bite, we are confident you will see what makes Miss NiNi’s Fine Desserts ‘Delicious Defined.’

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For media inquiries, please contact Miss NiNi by email at NiNi@MissNiNi.com or call 515-264-2112. Miss NiNi is available for interviews, guest appearances and baking demonstrations. For information on fees, please email the address above.